What is a Community?

Archaeologists use the term community to refer to a group of households whose members

live close to one another

interact face-to-face on a regular basis

share access to local resources

maintain social institutions that regulate relations between households

Communities are recognized archaeologically from the remains of ancient villages or clusters of smaller settlements that are within easy walking distance of one another. Thus, a community often consists of multiple archaeological sites.

Some form of public architecture, such as a great kiva, is often found centrally located within a community. These public places would have facilitated periodic gatherings of community members.